


Crystal Slippers, Wizard’s Hat

by endeni



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - This World Inverted (Shadowhunters TV), Blanket Permission, Episode: s01e10 This World Inverted, M/M, Podfic Welcome, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-06-03 07:51:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6602764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/endeni/pseuds/endeni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A “This World Inverted” coda. Alec and Magnus will find each other in every reality and Shadowhunters always want to save the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crystal Slippers, Wizard’s Hat

Alec doesn't succeed in intercepting that cute guy before he sees him leaving the party.

The day after, he actually surprises himself by wanting to track him down. _Magnus Bane_ , Alec repeats to himself.

He tries asking around, doesn’t have much success. Turns out no-one knew him or actually invited him. Big surprise.

 _This is proving to be more like Cinderella than Alice in Wonderland_ , Alec finds himself thinking, as he plays his last card and goes ask Izzy. If the Institute and its 4D Internet tech can't find someone, no-one can.

Turns out, he wouldn't have needed to bother her. “Magnus Bane: Tarot Card & Physhic Readings”, the guy is even on the yellow pages.

Actually, it really, really would have been best not to bother her, Alec thinks, because now he's stuck with her excitement and incessant questioning: “Who’s this guy, big brother? Does this mean you’re finally ready to settle down? Am I going to have some nieces and nephews to spoil? Oh, this is so romantic!”

Alec quickly makes himself scarce, Magnus’ address safe on his phone.

 

"Oh, yes, please," Magnus is murmuring and Alec has developed an addiction to Magnus' voice in the last few days. 

That and the graceful way he moves. Like now, arching his back against the sofa, head thrown back to expose the tender line of his neck.

From his position on top of Magnus' tights, Alec bends down to mouth at that skin.

He speeds up his rhythm, driving Magnus' cock inside him in a delicious friction, again and again, until Magnus is pressing his nails against Alec's back, his face slack with pleasure.

Afterward, Alec pauses to catch his breath, his nose pressed against the crook of Magnus’ neck.

 _I could get used to this_ , Alec thinks, just as he hears his phone ring.

For a moment, he’s tempted to let it go on until whoever is calling him gives up. But it could be work, could be important. With one last kiss, he gets up.

It’s Izzy.

“Yes”, he says on the phone. “Yes, don’t do anything, I’ll be there in a moment.”

“Gotta go”, he says to Magnus as he bends down to collect his clothes. “See you tomorrow?”

 

The day after, they’ve graduated to Magnus’ bed.

Alec is lying on his side, sated and sore, his fingers tracing meaningless patterns on Magnus’ chest.

From his position, he can feel Magnus taking a breath, as if preparing to speak. Magnus’ hand catches Alec’s fingers into his own, stopping him. The man sits up and turns to look at Alec, his expression serious.

“So, I’ve been meaning to ask... what is this?" Alec looks up, taken aback. "I mean, what am I to you? Not that I don't appreciate the truly amazing sex, Alec, but frankly, I think I may be getting a bit too old for the whole no-string-attached kind of fun. As in, if we continue this way I may grow attached indeed and, well, if I'm only another notch on your private school rich boy bedpost I should tell you I think we’ll better finish things here-”

“I went to a military academy, actually,” Alec interrupts, sitting up too. And fuck, that’s not what he meant to say, why did he say that?

“You... what?” Alec watches as Magnus’ eyebrows furrow in confusion.

Right, might as well tell the whole story. “I know it's hard to imagine, but I was kind of a rebellious punk as a kid,” he tries to say with a charming smile. He gets the unimpressed raise of an eyebrow. Alec keeps going, “and my parents thought the military would have sorted me out. And, in their defense, it kind of did. Used to spend hours at the range, just me and my weapon. It gave me clarity of thought. At 18 I almost enlisted, but in the end I realized it wasn't really for me.”

“Oh,” Magnus says, his puzzled expression making way for a tentative curiosity, “because of...” he makes a gesture indicating between them.

“Nah,” Alec says with a smile, “Everybody knew, cadets, instructors,” he waves his hand in a dismissive motion, “no-one cared. Actually, I even got around quite a bit,” he says with a smirk. “I just- I wanted to… protect people, you know? But by then I'd been around military officer types long enough to realize they could always be relied on to fuck things up. The higher the rank, the biggest the fuck up. And, honestly, the only orders I like to follow are my own. So, after my diploma, I got into business school. And, after that, into the family business. And Izzy is right, our COE is a visionary and his 4D tech is going to make the world better. You know, in the space of a few years every kid in the world will be able to learn and study everywhere they live, no long walks to the nearest school, they’ll just need a 10 dollars-worth tablet and- sorry,” he says, raising an hand in apology, “sorry, I tend to get excited when I talk about this.”

Magnus smiles an indulgent smile, “I get it, you want to save the world.”

Alec looks at him with an half-smile and an eyebrow raised, “Don't we all?”

A deprecating snort, “Not really, some of us are just trying to get by.” Magnus looks at him for moment, silent. ”Still, my point stands, you know nothing about me or-”

Alec moves to take Magnus’ hands in his own. “You can ask me anything you want to know, Magnus," he says firmly. “And there's nothing I'd like better than getting to know you. In fact, there’s nothing I’d like better than the idea of you growing... _attached_ , because I find myself becoming quite attached as well,” he concludes with a half-smile and, god, isn't it strange to actually say these things out loud.

Magnus breaks into a smile too. Alec can’t help but lean forward and kiss him.

 

Things settle after their talk. In fact, everything seems to be going great for a while.

Then, weird things start to happen.

The first couple of times, it happens during sex.

Once, Alec is buried deep inside Magnus, his teeth closed against the soft flesh of Magnus’ shoulder, when he sees the lamp on the nightstand float into the air, then the nightstand itself seems to lift up, and the bed he and Magnus are lying on.

Another time, it’s one of Magnus’ cats, revolving grumpily through the air.

Alec attributes it to the shattering orgasms.

Except, it happens again.

Once, his foot slips at the top of the stairs to his office and Alec is preparing himself for a ruinous fall when he finds himself at the bottom of the staircase, safely held in Magnus’ arms.

Alec starts to think it must all have been a trick of his imagination.

Then, another accident happens, then another.

Mostly, it happens when he’s in Magnus’ company and Alec knows scientists say love affects the brain like a drug, but this might be taking that particular metaphor a little bit too far.

Alec is starting to fear that he’s going crazy. Or worse.

Quietly, he takes an appointment with his doctor.

 

He and Magnus are walking down the street of Magnus’ neighborhood, aiming for the café around the corner with those delicious chocolate pastries, when Alec gets knocked off the sidewalk by a  delivery rider, falling right into the path of a car.

Alec blinks. A moment later he’s standing on the sidewalk again. People around him are murmuring softly, looking at him with wide eyes.

 _It’s not just me, then_ , Alec thinks dazedly as Magnus takes him by the hand, hurrying back home.

“Well... this is probably the right time to tell you that I might be a bit… magical?” Magnus tells him tentatively once they’re inside. He looks down at Alec's left arm then. “Oh, dear, are you OK, did you get hurt?” and he’s raising a hand as if to check.

“ _How am I?_ ” Alec asks, unthinkingly stepping back. He looks down at his arm too and part of his brain registers the teared fabric. “It was- You mean it was you? All this time, it was _you_? ”

Magnus doesn't say anything, trying to master a smile.

A nervous laughter escapes Alec. “I thought there was something wrong with my head, that- that I had a brain tumor or something! I- What are _you_? Are there- are there more of you? Is there-”

Magnus raises an eyebrow. “More of what?” he asks, looking almost irritated now, “Cat owners? Bisexuals? No, Alec I'm afraid I'm rather unique.”

Alec, making a gesture with his hand: “No, no, Magnus, I'm sorry. I meant, you know, _wizards_ ,” and, god, Alec can almost hear Izzy’s voice: _You're a wizard, Harry!_ “If that's what you are. Are you- are you the only one?” and, god, as far as Earth-shattering revelations go, he thinks he’s taking this surprisingly well, isn’t he? _Beats the hell out of cancer_.

Magnus sighs. “Actually, no, I'm not. And warlocks aren't the only ones with supernatural abilities out there.”

“ _Warlocks_. Is that what you call yourself, a warlock?”

A nod. “I used too. Not much call for it these days, not now that there are no more demons around. And my magic, I thought it was gone, except it really wasn't and now I seems to be having troubles keeping it in check.” Magnus seems to almost blush. Alec watches him shake his head, embarrassed, “And you'll find that, much like me, the Shado- the supernatural world has been trying to keep a rather low profile. I-I’m sorry I made you think- I’m so sorry I kept the truth from you, Alec,” Magnus says. “I… I was afraid.”

“Why?” Alec asks, his eyes wide. “What you did, what you can do, it’s amazing. God, think about the things we could accomplish, if we could send shipments with just a snap of fingers. Magnus, we could-”

“Save the world?” Magnus finishes for him with an indulgent look.

Alec answers with brilliant smile. “Yes,” he says simply.

I-” Magnus smiles back, “I take it you're not afraid of this, of _me_.”

Alec laughs, genuinely puzzled now: “ _What_? Of course not, I could never be afraid of you.”

“What if I told you I could kill you with just a snap of my fingers?” Magnus replies, his expression serious.

Alec shrugs a single shoulder. “It's not your ability that matters, it's your intent.” He steps closer then, taking one of Magnus’ hand into his own. “I know half a dozen ways to kill a man bare-handed, learned them at the academy. Are you afraid of me?” he asks, an eyebrow raised.

Magnus shakes his head, a small smile stretching his lips: “No, of course not.”

Alec, smiles sweetly back. “What do you say, Magnus Bane, do you want to save the world with me?” he asks.

“You know?” Magnus says, “I think I'd like that, Alec Lightwood,” and then he moves to kiss him.

Yes, turns out Alec’s life is quite a fairy tale.


End file.
